The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-10-02
and material for the road bed is for the
most part excellent.

is merely the crossing OF an elevated
ridge extending south from the terminal
of the Snake range, and between Snake
and Spring Valleys. Its summit is dis
tant from Black Rock Station about
los miles by the route traversed. 1t has
an elevation of $500 feet above the
sea, and 685 feet above the valley at the
teot of the ascent. To overcome this
elevation there is a distance of about
eleven miles, which gives an average
grade of sixiytwo feet per mile; and
owing to uniformity and smoothness of
the ascent we feel warranted In assura-
ing this 10 be the maximum. From
THIS summit to the summit of Duck
Valley Pass, between the Cedar and
For Ihcation Mountains, very favor
able route can be obtained through
Spring Valley by holding well up on
the slopes extending out from the foot
Of the mountains enclosing its southern
end
By adopting this course the average
grade between the two points will be
about thirty feet per mile. he max
imum need not exceed seventy feet per
mile, and then only for a short distance,
aud the cost of construction will be
quie reasonable. The summit of Duck
Valley Pass has an elevation of 6 l75
feet above the sea, and is Ais feet higher
than Lake Creek Pass, q distance there
from Of about thirteen miles in south
westerly course, and about '118 miles
from Black Rock Station. From this
summit the descent westward into Duck
Valley is made in distance of about
eight miles. About third of this dis
lance will require maximum grade not
10 exceed ninety feet per mile, while
that of the remainder will vary from
twenty to sixty feet. The entire pass
is remarkably smooth and uniform, and
the cost OF constructing grade through
out will be quite light.
CROSSING THE VALLEY
in westerly direction, We continued
our examinations through the Shell and
Egan ranges with the object of gaining
access or close proximity to Little
Cherry Creek and other mineral dis
tricts of importance, and also of placing
she line SO as to be most faVorably
adapted for extensions either north or
west as future developments may re-
quire. Still, to whatever extent these
localities may influence the location,
other important interests lying away to
the southeast call for a location via
Bristol and across the Pah rock
Mountains to the Pah-ran agat district.
To this latter course we will make spe-
cisl reference after tracing the first to
the Freiourg Mountain.
Across Duck Valley the work will be
light and inexpensive. The crossing of
the Shell aid Egan ranges, which ex-
tend between the Duck and Sierra
Valleys, is effected via the Cave
Valley Pass, which, for distance of
about forty-eight miles, includes top
ography of such variable features and
abrupt irregularities as to impose con-
siderable expense in constructing over
about one-half the distance. The
eXigencies at three points, viz: Rattle
snake. Hillside and Cave Valley sum
mits render unavoidable gradients Of
ninety feet per mile Tor about twenty
miles; and the points a. which they
occur are SO remotely connected that
concentration OF the heavy grades can
not be practically obtained in one IN
broken line of continuation, but are
detached from each other with inter
vening grades of lighter degree. The
grades on the remaining twenty-eight
miles need not exceed sixty feet.
lAA JUST w GRADING
on about one-half the distance will be
quite heavy, while on the remaining
half it will be light, producing an aver
age by no means excessive. Material for
road bed is good; and rock suitable for
rough masonry is convenient. Bridges
required will be few and not expensive.
Some timber for their construction and
20 no in he
Shell and Esan ranges. a necessary
supply of water can no doubt be OBJ
tanned by the sinking of wells, as its
presence is confirmed by the existence
Of spring situated at an announcement
distance from the line.
From the Cave Valley Pass to the
Freiburg summit, distance Of about
thirty-six miles, the route bears west
across Sierra Valley and low depres-
sion in the northern end of the Golden
Gate range; thence southwestern to
the Freiburg Pass over the easy
slopes extending out from the Grant
range into Garden Valley.
THE SUMMIT OF THE FREIBURG PASS.
is distant from Black Rock Station
about 21s miles. It has an elevation of
$50 feet above tide water, and over the
entire distance between it and the Cave
Valley Pass no gradient of more than
sixty feet per mile need be used, and
requirement for this maximum occurs
at but one point on the immediate as
cent of the pass, and then only for a
short distance.
8 The cost of construction over the en-
tire distance will be light. Material for
the road bed is excellent. Some bridg-
ing will be required in providing drain
age Tor early spring streams. resulting
from melting snow and storms in the
mountains. Water exists at points
along the Grant range, and can be made
available by piping a considerable dis
lance; otherwise the. supply must be OBJ
tanned by the sinking of wells A limi-
ted number of cross ties can be obtained
from patches Of timber in the Grant and
White Pine ranges.
Should it be desired to locate from
Frelburg summit, with a view to a
branch extension westward into and
through the country interspersed with
the many important mining sections
which extend in that direction, not
only to the foot hills, but far up the
very slopes of the Sierra Nevada Noun
tains, then the course of the main line
should be along the western side of